UN peacekeeping icon Obiakor is dead

Retired Lieutenant General Chikadibia Isaac Obiakor, a former senior Nigerian Army officer and United Nations peacekeeping leader, has died at the age of 75.

According to a statement issued by retired Air Commodore Sani Zakari, Obiakor died at a hospital in Abuja on Wednesday.

Obiakor was widely recognised for his contributions to international peacekeeping and military diplomacy. He made history as the first African to serve as United Nations Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations at the UN headquarters in New York.

Born in Zaria, Kaduna State, on February 18, 1951, Obiakor hailed from Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. He attended the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, and later joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as part of the 10th Regular Course.

He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army in 1973 and held several command positions during his career, including General Officer Commanding 2 Mechanised Division and Chief of Army Administration.

Obiakor also played key roles in regional peace efforts, particularly in Liberia during the civil war, where he served with ECOMOG and later coordinated Liberia’s 1997 elections.

In 2006, he was appointed Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Liberia before rising to the position of UN Assistant Secretary-General and Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations between 2008 and 2010.

Following his retirement in 2011, he continued to work with the United Nations on conflict investigations and humanitarian assignments in countries including South Sudan and Syria.

He was honoured with the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic for his service to Nigeria and the international community.